Political Insider: Mainor building a new power structure

AP photoJersey City's black community is waiting for a spark of leadership.Jersey Journal file photoAssemblyman Charles Mainor of Jersey City

Power.

Idealistically, government should be about service and not necessarily about authority or strength.
Muscle and might are terms more associated with politics or those with influence, but there is a process, a form of osmosis, between power and government. Those who have the former have plenty of influence over the latter.

The corollary is that government, or those elected and appointed drones who are responsible for the hive, seek out the nectar of influence. In Hudson County, this is necessary to stay in power.

Power is addictive. The individual or group possessing it wants to keep it. There is no sharing.

All this explains the state of Jersey City's black community. These citizens obviously have no power or influence.

Yes, there are other sections of the county seat who are also ignored by local government, but the degree of neglect is visually measurable. Although side streets have well-kept homes, the commercial and retail sectors of black neighborhoods have been surrendered to criminal elements and decay.

No power, only a sense of isolation and Grove Street betrayal.

Yes, there are elected officials representing them, but improvements in the lives of residents and their neighborhoods should be the gauge of political success. By that ruler, elected representation in the black community has been a failure for decades, with one or two exceptions.

Now there is another effort to generate some civic -- I read that as political -- energy.

Assemblyman Charles Mainor, 43, of the 31st District, has reached out to a score of "influential" black residents. He also wants people from other parts of the city to take part in an effort to become relevant again.

"We want to tackle those issues that confront us -- that need to be addressed," Mainor said at a local diner. "Ideas and help should come from not just the black community. This is why this organization will welcome anyone with ideas. I don't care if they are black, white or purple"

Sounds like the perfect political club. Has Mainor, 43, a police officer, met any purple people?

Not quite, but there is Daniel Levin, a Downtown activist, and the assemblyman was hoping to make meet Norrice Raymaker, who ran unsuccessfully for the Journal Square City Council seat. Newly elected school board member Sterling Waterman is also expected to get involved, Mainor said.

Others are St. Anthony and Seton Hall basketball star Jerry Walker, his ex-team mate and former school board member Terry Dehere, businessman Bruce Alston, some police and corrections officers who live in the city, and several businesswomen.

Will Mainor use this as a springboard to higher political office, say mayor or state senator?

He claims to have no aspirations to those posts but does not exclude the possibility of this new group endorsing candidates, should they choose to do so.

"I want to do what has not been done since Joe Charles, run and win continuous terms in the Assembly," he said of his political future.

Here you count to a slow beat of five. Mainor also denies he is fronting for state Sen. Sandra B. Cunningham.

"Is Freeholder Jeff Dublin allowed to join?" I asked, knowing that Dublin is interested in running for mayor.

"I'll personally invite him," said Mainor, killing a rumor that the group's future bylaws will call for excluding the freeholder. "Anyone who wants to help the community can join."

He included present members of the City Council, Viola Richardson and Willie Flood.

Then the assemblyman's face, with a slight smile, froze, and I watched for a twitch at the corners of the mouth or a darting of the eyes, down and to the left. Nothing. It must have been hard for him to keep those tells frozen. Finally, I couldn't help it and a low snickering laugh escaped me. Sorry, it's just my nature, I said.

The assemblyman knows there will be cynicism expressed by some, and he acknowledges that some young men being asked to help create this civic dynamo will do so just to keep an eye on potential political rivals. It doesn't matter.

Mainor invited me to their first organizational meeting the next night, Thursday, at 6 at Dehere's restaurant, Sanai's on Summit Avenue.

I showed up with a photographer, asked for Mainor and some of the others. The restaurant workers looked at me and my other head.

Apparently, everyone had decided to run over to the Hudson County Community College commencement exercises at 6 p.m. at NJPAC in Newark -- Newark. You see, the Rev. Jesse Jackson of the rainbow church was the keynote speaker.

The Jersey City engine that is expected to spark civic/political power will have to wait for its kick-start.

INSIDER NOTE:

-- There is only one note that means anything this weekend. Give a nod and a thanks should you run into a man or woman in military uniform.